What Comes After Sunset
by Light of Polaris
Summary: At age 17, Cerri is a Tortallan ambassador. She arrives in Galla to see where relations stand with the new queen. Unfortunately, madwomen don't talk it out. Things go awry and Cerri's own weakness of mind might come to light, literally...R&R
1. Mad Queen

Re-edited this first chapter. I noticed I was repeating words. *shudder* I hope you enjoy this chapter and the next one! I've got this one all planned out so _hopefully_ I'll update faster. Please review and let me know what you think!

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><p>As my escort and I approached the palace gates, a cry of "Identify yourselves!" came from the wall above. <em>There are a lot of archers up there,<em> I thought, _more than there should be._

I drew a large breath and shouted in my deep voice, "I am Lady Cerri, ambassador of Tortall. This is my escort." I took one hand off the reigns and gestured to the ten armed men and women on their mounts around me. The men didn't move to open the gate so I continued.

"We are here on behalf of King Jonathan and Queen Thayet to give their regards to Galla's new queen," I told them. They still did not move and my neck was getting cramped from looking up so long. Finally, the guard who seemed to be in charge responded.

"Dismount and come to the gate, we will open it," he commanded. A tense few minutes passed as I weighed my options. Ahead of us was the palace wall which curved in both directions. To our left and right was a small forest filled with traps and behind us was a wide, paved road that led into the city. Either we turned around or did as this man said. It was foolish to do as he had ordered but on the other hand why come this far only to turn around?

"What do you think, Bogt?" I addressed the captain of my own guard.

"I believe they mean us harm, my lady. I do not think it wise to leave our mounts," he said. I nodded in agreement but I had their Majesties orders to worry about which made debating a waste of time.

"I must do my duty, Bogt," I said solemnly which was uncharacteristic for me.

"I understand, my lady," he signaled for his soldiers to dismount. I waited a second, steeling myself, before I dismounted myself. _Thank the Goddess women could wear breeches now,_ I thought. I would not have the courage for my mission if I were wearing a dress in front of these men. I turned to my horse, Carrot, and patted her nose. Then I carefully slipped a small folded square of parchment into my breast band. At this distance, no one would have seen it from the wall.

"You are great men and women, friends too," I said looking around at all of them. "If we make it through this, drinks at the Dove will be on me for an entire week." A couple of them laughed lightly but they were nervous laughs. They knew when they chose this life that they might be sent somewhere and never return. I sent a prayer to Mithros that they, at least, would go home.

Cautiously, our group approached the gate leaving our horses behind. When we were standing in front of the gate, we heard the hoarse shouting of orders being given above. With a loud screech, the gate slowly rose. My heart beat loudly with each finger length it moved. It nearly stopped when the gate was above eye level and I saw what was waiting for us.

On the other side were thirty soldiers with swords drawn. My own guards drew their swords in response. _Blood must not be shed, _I thought firmly.

"Captain, have our men drop their weapons. We will not fight," I commanded. He looked about to refuse—leaving the horses behind was one thing but letting ourselves be overwhelmed? Slowly and with trepidation, he raised a hand and my guard dropped their swords. As soon as the last sword hit the dirt of the courtyard, the soldiers swarmed us. I struggled naught as they forced me to my knees and bound my hands behind me. I wondered what would happen now. Would they kill us or would we be brought to the Queen? I glanced around us and saw that we were not in the main courtyard that received foreign embassies, but a side one. We had asked the guards in the city which gate we should use and they had directed us to this one. It seems they never planned to greet us the honest way from the outset.

"Are we to receive an explanation for such rough treatment?" I snapped at the soldier who shoved me to my feet none too gently. He didn't answer. Instead he grabbed my shoulder and directed me to a small servant's entrance. Once we stepped inside I had no time to appreciate the coolness of the corridor we walked into. I was led in one direction while my guards went the other. I hoped they would be all right. I tried not to feel nervous without them. They could handle themselves in a fight, all I knew how to do was think and even that ability fled me at times.

The narrow corridor was dark and barren. There weren't even any windows. Torches were set along the outside wall to make up for the lack of sunlight. Each stretch of the corridor looked exactly like the last except for the occasional set of stairs or door. We passed only the odd servant and none of them would meet my eyes. They hurried along with their heads down and eyes averted. I thought longingly of the palace in Corus where the servants' pathways were alive and cheery.

As we walked, I considered the situation. Delivering that formal letter from the King and Queen to Queen Talis was only half my task. Actually, I wouldn't even say it was half. The Baron of Pirate's Swoop had told me that we might not be received kindly when we arrived. This was owed to the Queen's thirst for war. She was crowned after the death of her older sister, the previous queen, during childbirth. The child hadn't survived the ordeal and that queen's husband had disappeared soon after. It was discovered in a short time that Talis would not be the supporter of peace that generations of rulers had been. She made it her policy to gain loyalty through fear. I was sent mainly to see how her sudden inheritance of the throne would affect Tortall's relations with Galla. I was also to deliver a letter from King Jonathan to the general of the Queen's armies whom the Baron of Pirate's Swoop said was opposed to the new reign. In these circumstances, I wondered if I could complete either of my duties. _The point of coming in here was to try_, I reminded myself.

Sudden light made me blink rapidly as we walked through a door and out into a decorated and brightly lit main thoroughfare. The ceiling was higher than the length of three men and very long. The door we had just come out of was hidden behind a banner bearing the Gallan royal coat of arms somewhere in the middle of the hall. To the far left was an elaborate foyer and all way to the right were a pair of double doors that I assumed led to the throne room. So I was to see the Queen after all. This corridor had more servants running about but also guards positioned at intervals. So far, there was nothing impressive.

I was led right up to the elaborately carved, gold guilt doors and they swung open noiselessly with the help of two pageboys. _Finally, something to admire, _was my first thought as I was brought into the throne room. The room itself was nothing to gawk at but the windows that drew one's attention. The windows were all of colored glass with the summer sun shining through them. It bathed the floor and walls with light all the colors of a rainbow. I'm naturally attracted to shiny and pretty things so pulling my attention away was a fight. Eventually, I tore my eyes away from the sight and directed them towards the throne.

The woman sitting on it was noteworthy only for being what a queen shouldn't look like. Compared to Her Majesty Queen Thayet, Queen Talis was a crone. She had a smallish chin, full lips that would have looked pretty on any other person, a hooked nose, and large, green eyes that were bulging with anger. As I was moved closer I heard her furious voice echoing around the room. She was arguing with a man in an elaborate uniform. I could not see his face but I could tell from his posture that he was not afraid of the Queen's rage. I admired the man's ability to deal her obvious temper.

"Your Majesty, it will require another month at the very least to gather enough supplies for a force the size you are demanding," the man said in a tired, croaking voice. The Queen scowled at him. I thought it made her look better.

"If you have to raise taxes again, then do it! I want them ready in two weeks," she shouted. If they were talking about waging war then it must mean the spies were right, this woman was out for blood. I nearly laughed aloud, _this_ woman wanted to start a war?

"The people can't aff-" the man cut himself off as he realized the Queen's attention was no longer with him. It was on me. Oh dear, am I supposed to deal with her now?

"You there!" She pointed to the soldier who was holding on to me, "Tell me, is this the Tortallan ambassador?"

The soldier nodded and brought me forward so I was standing in front of the dais where the Queen sat. I glanced at the uniformed man again and saw his eyes widen in shock. Then he adopted a peculiar look akin to guilt. This must be the general. I wanted to communicate with him but the Queen was watching. Maybe I would have the opportunity to give him the letter later. I looked back to the Queen who was examining me top to toe. I longed to tell her to mind her manners. However, being pert didn't seem like a wise choice.

"Might I ask for an explanation, Your Majesty, for the harsh treatment my companions and I have thus far endured?" I asked tentatively or what seemed like it. By now, I had already figured it out but I had a part to play.

"It's no secret that I do not wish to make peace with any of my neighbors and yet here you are. You are the only ambassador that has been sent since my coronation three months ago. I wonder, is there some other purpose for you being here?" She asked suspiciously. I schooled my face into an offended expression and then a nervous one when I responded.

"My only mission, your Majesty, was to give my regards to you on behalf of the King and Queen of Tortall. The letter they sent is with my horse," I said with a slight quiver. Truthfully, I _was_ a tad bit nervous—just a little—but years of training used it to my advantage.

"I suppose they wish to persuade me to be a gods awful peace lover like my sister," she said with disgust. "No," she snapped, "I will show them that I am serious."

_Ah, hear it comes,_ I thought. She was going to deliver her ultimatum. I knew what was coming before she even said it.

"At dawn, one day from now, I'll have you executed in the main square of the city. Then your spies can deliver the message. I'm declaring war on Tortall and I'm not negotiating," the Queen said with a laugh tinged with madness. I wasn't sure what to think. I may or not be able to get out of this alive. My only hope was that letter. I briefly considered trying to reason with her, maybe save my guards, but it seemed she wasn't quite right in the head. _Just like me_, the thought was bitter.

The soldier turned me around and pushed me out of the throne room. I didn't pay any attention to my surroundings after that. I was fighting hard to keep from panicking. We knew this could happen. The letter would come through. _But if it doesn't…_My knees buckled and I fell to the ground. The guard nearly tripped over me with the suddenness of it.

"Get up!" the soldier growled at me. He slapped my face with the back of his hand and my head whipped sideways with the force. My left cheek, where the blow landed, stung smartly and tears welled in my eyes. I struggled to my feet and we resumed our journey. I cried silently the whole way to the dungeon. _Only for show, _I told myself.

The dungeon was a cruel place. I could see it even through the blur of tears. There was a row of open barred cells along the right wall of the large prison and a cell with a big wooden door with a barred window set into it on the left. A low growling was coming from that one.

Down the center of the room were various torture tools and devices. The whole place stank to the Divine Realms and I retched on the ground in front of me, adding to the awful stink. That wasn't on purpose. I stepped over it and glanced back at the soldier. His nose was wrinkled in disgust as he too, carefully avoided it. He gave me a rough shove towards the bigger cell.

I was starting to feel a prickle of fear as the growling grew louder with every step towards it. Growling? I felt sure that I didn't want to be in there.

The jailer, a beefy man, got out of his chair next to the cell door and took out a ring of keys. The soldier took the binds off my hands while the jailer opened the door. I wanted so badly to run but the soldier kept a firm grip on me. _Goddess protect me_, I prayed. I was forced into the cell and the wood door closed tightly behind me.

"Oh dear Mithros," I whimpered. I was too afraid to be horrified that I was whimpering. On the other side of the cell was a griffon. He was heavily chained to the wall so I wasn't mincemeat just yet. The chain wasn't long enough to reach me by the door but it came close. Since the end of the chain was in the middle of the wall, I could sit down in a corner on either side and be farther out of reach. As soon as I got over the initial paralyzing fear, I did just that.

Determining that unless I rolled over and into his reach, I decided I could take a nap without getting killed. I wouldn't be able to sleep during the night so the rest of the day would have to do. The griffon didn't even matter. If I could sleep through a brawl at my mother's inn and a late night party at the university in the dorm above me, then I could sleep next to a hungry griffon. I closed my eyes and wished Gainel would bring me good dreams that did not include anything four-legged.

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><p>Review please! Just a word or two to let me know what my audience's opinion is. When you review whether with praise or constructive critism, both help me to have confidence in my skills and become a better writer. To reiterate: REVIEW! Thank you!<p> 


	2. To Prove

As night drew near, that prickling sense of fear woke me. I looked first towards the window but the moon had yet to show itself. The absence of scratching, growling, and clawing drew my eyes to the griffon. It had lain down and rested its large head on its folded forepaws, eyes closed. Now that it wasn't biting and snapping at me, I admired the ingenuity of locking a griffon in a dungeon cell. It was common knowledge nowadays that it's impossible to lie in front of a griffon. I felt sorry for the poor creature, driven to madness and treated like a monster for the ability that makes it so grand. I knew that griffons were intelligent creatures but it would be too much to think that this one had retained its sanity.

Other thoughts drifted to me as time passed. Tkaa, my mother's friend and frequent visitor at the inn had recommended me for this post when my mother died. I spent five years training in diplomatic precedents. What would my mentor think of me now? Would all that effort go to waste? The king and queen had anticipated these turn of events and had advised me that it would be very dangerous but I had resolved to go anyway. There was a chance I would make it out alive. I patted my chest where the letter was tucked away. If I could find a way to deliver it, it would help my situation considerably. The man with the sympathetic look that I'd seen in the throne room was the queen's commander. Lord Suffrice had been the commander of the Gallan army for the previous queen and the sisters' parents as well. He was competent and wise, respected by many. Their Majesties believed their appeal would best be delivered to a head as sensible as his should be. It was tricky business, for sure. My only hope is that he hasn't been tainted by the young queen's madness.

_Ah, _I thought, _she is a puzzle I want to solve. _I had done research on Gallan's history before I'd begun my journey. It's unclear what caused her insanity; only that it started around the time her old sister, who was queen at the time, took ill. This illness kept with her until her child was born and lead to her's and the child's death. The illness was not any manner of foul play, as best our sources could tell. After she died, Talis took the throne since her sister's husband, a Lord Camorron was no where to be found. Mysteriously, one of her first acts as queen was to declare him an enemy of the country and demand that if he were discovered, he would be killed on sight. This was the first sign that her reign was to be a miserable one. It's been a year since then and it surprises me that no one has rebelled, but the spies report that Queen Talis is suspicious of everyone and keeps a very strict management of her kingdom, military enforced.

A creak came from outside my cell and the griffon shifted slightly but did not stir. My door opened soon after on oiled hinges. A young man dressed in the uniform of a kitchen servant slid a tray across the floor. He kept his eyes downcast. It infuriated me that they would let a servant open the door fully as if I was no threat. I stifled the emotion, it was useless pride. This could be used to my advantage. _Somehow_, I thought. I took the proffered tray and was startled to find that it was not the standard hard bread and watery soup usually doled out in prisons but a rich meal consisting of seasoned pork, buttered biscuits, and creamy mashed potatoes. They even gave me some fine silverware to eat with. A sign of goodwill or a testament to how harmless they believed me to be? I glanced at the servant again. This time I noticed that his left cheek was red in a strange square shape. He caught my eyes and looked away hastily, then slowly looked back again. Obviously he was to wait until I finished my meal. Unfortunately, I'm not so good at eating when there's someone watching me. I decided to distract myself from thinking about it so I attempted small talk.

"Did you lose a bet?" I said.

"What?" He said, looking startled.

"What does a kitchen servant do to earn prison duty? You must have lost a bet," I said, digging into my potatoes.

"Oh. It wasn't a bet. It's punishment for offending one of the assistant chefs," Some color rose to his cheeks as he said it, piquing my curiosity.

"Hmmm. Must have said something really rude or something completely true," I said, but I was thinking, _this food is good!_

"I…uh…commented on how nice she looked in the head chef's shirt," he said.

I nearly choked on my food. He said _that_? "In front of the kitchen staff?" I asked disbelievingly. He nodded sheepishly.

"Why?" Was he serious? Revealing to everyone that they'd been canoodling?

"It's really boring around here." He shifted to his other foot in the open doorway. Was that it? Laughter burst from my lips.

"Mad queen not entertaining enough?" I asked when the laughter subsided a little.

"You quickly get used to the ranting and raving," he said, bending over to pick up my empty tray. Gods, he was almost as tall as Numair! I noticed that there was a bruise forming on the red cheek now.

"Where'd you get that bruise? It looks fairly recent." He paused halfway to standing and was about level with my face from where was I sitting.

"The assistant chef was working with a spatula." I chuckled again and reached out on a whim. He stood up quickly and backed away.

"Oh right, sorry. I'm still a prisoner. I have a bit of Gift and thought I'd heal it for you as thanks."

"I'm fine." He left awkwardly and closed the door harder than he should have. _Looks like I ruffled his feathers. _A second later, a roar sounded that made me clap my hands over my ears. He woke the griffon, curse him. 

I switched to the other corner of the room as moonlight inched through the window. Eventually, the griffon settled down again and I amused myself the rest of night remembering the stories of the wildmage and the Immortals War.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When my cell door next opened, it was the same servant. Evidently, he hadn't been forgiven. I stifled a laugh when I saw the nasty bruise still on his cheek. He shoved the tray across the floor towards me along with a sloshing basin of water. It surprises me that they're being so considerate.

He still seemed awkward as if he didn't know why he started talking with the prisoner in the first place. As much as I had welcomed the distraction our conversation last night had provided, it didn't seem like I'd be able to get him to talk. He wasn't watching me this time so I could eat my meal without worrying about him staring at me. When I finally slid the tray over to him, he took it wordlessly and closed the door—gentler this time. Maybe he felt guilty for slamming it last night. I stretched my arms above my head and washed my face with water from the basin. I let the water drip down off my chin to fall on the dirty floor as I considered what I'd have to do today. There was the letter that still needed to be delivered and a back-up plan to be hatched in case the letter failed. I thought about asking the servant to deliver the message when he came around for lunch but quickly discarded the idea. I couldn't trust that he wouldn't read the contents. I was debating the chances of bird calling a messenger pigeon to my cell window—an infamous ploy that had been done by a well-known rogue that nobody seems to remember the name of—when I heard the tell-tale creak that meant someone was coming into the dungeon. It was only a half hour after the servant had left, judging by the light outside, so it couldn't be lunch.

A god or goddess must have smiled on me. My letter didn't have very far to its destination. Commander Suffrice opened the wooden door and led me to a wobbly table with two wobbly chairs.

"Have a seat," he said. I expected his voice to be loud and powerful and was surprised to hear him almost croaking the words. I looked closely at his face as I sat down. His skin was aged and there were deep wrinkles above his brow. The man had lived a serious life, I judged.

"Sir, I have a letter for you from Their Majesties, Queen Thayet and King Jonathan," I said. I felt a bit of heat in my ears as I reached into my tunic to retrieve it. I should have moved it when I had the opportunity. I glanced at him as I handed the letter across the table. His posture was stiff as he took it from me. He opened and perused the contents for about a third of time it should have taken to read the letter completely. Either he was a really fast reader or a decision had already been made.

"I know why you came. Had I known you were but a teenage girl, I would have found another way to satisfy the queen," he sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. "It's too late now. I convinced the queen to spare your escort. They've been delivered to the city safely where I presume they'll try to rescue you before tomorrow or during the execution. But I'm sorry, Miss Cerri, you can't be rescued."

My heart fluttered with fear. _Calm down, _I thought_, there might still be a chance._

"May I ask why I can't be spared as well?" I said as steadily as I could manage.

"The queen is absolutely adamant about your death. She's obsessed with this war plan of hers. Any deviations from it send her into a rage, as you saw yesterday. If I were to let you go and tell her you escaped, it might drive her further into madness. That is something I cannot allow. I'm sorry, truly sorry," he said sincerely. He passed the letter back to me and left with weighted steps. A guard that had accompanied him guided me back to my cell. I sat down in my corner, barely registering the griffon's resumed antics, and stared at opposite wall with the letter clenched in my hand. I felt frozen. I didn't realize how much I'd been depending on that letter to come through. Instead of chatting with the enemy's servants, I should have been planning an escape. If I die tomorrow, I'll have no one to blame but myself.

I was still in that position when the servant came around again a few hours later. He opened the door and took the basin. Then he slid the tray over to me. Instead of leaning against the doorway again, he reached around the door and grabbed a haunch of beef which he threw to the griffon. Then took up the position he normally did and waited for me to eat. I noticed all this distantly. I still didn't move. I sat there for a while just staring at the food.

"Odd time to start acting like a prisoner," the servant said. I finally moved just so I could see his expression. He looked like a person out of their element.

"If prisoners have no hope, I suppose I am acting like one," I said sadly as I threw the letter into the opposite corner. I wanted to be alone now. I ate quickly and passed the tray to him. He took it but stopped suddenly before leaving.

"You must have known something like this would happen when you came here so I have ask; why? Why come?" His back was to me and I could see his shoulders were tense.

I considered his question. Why _did_ I come with this possible fate hanging over me? Was it for my country? _No, that's not it._ So those I loved wouldn't have to risk their lives in a brutal war? _In part. _Then I realized that I mostly came for myself. To prove that despite my condition, I could accomplish something worthwhile.

"To prove something," I told him. He nodded, closed the door, and left.


End file.
